Mechanism for selecting and changing weft-bobbins in multicolor looms



y 39, 1963 H. ZOLLINGER ETAL 3,09

MECHANISM FOR ECTING CHANGING WEFT-BOBBINS MULTICO R LOOMS Filed Sept. 9, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed sept. 9, 1960 July 30, 1963 H. ZOLLINGER ETAL 3,099,294 MECHANISM FOR ECTING A CHAN G WEFT-BOBBINS MULTICO LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG? 2 it are 3,099,294 Patented July 30, 1963 3,099,294 MECHANISM FQR SELEQTING AND CHANGING WEFT-BOBBENS IN MULTICOLOR LOUMS Hans Zollinger, Ruti, Zurich, and Rolf Honeggcr, Tann-Ruti, Zurich, Switzerland Filed Sept. 9, 1960, Ser. No. 55,092 Claims priority, application Switzerland Sept. 11, 1959 4 Claims. (Cl. 139232) This invention rel-ates to a mechanism for changing the Weft-bobbins in multicolor automatic looms of the type comprising a multi-row bobbin magazine and positive feed of a fresh bobbin from the now, which carries the selected weft to the transfer position over a transfer channel common to all bobbin rows in the magazine.

Multi-row bobbin magazines with a transfer channel for the fresh bobbins to the transfer position have heretofore been designed. In these mechanisms, the full or fresh bobbin which falls into the transfer channel under gravity, is transferred to the transfer position by a slide guided therein. The arrangement for selecting the bobbin roW in the magazine, in order to release the lowermost bobbin of the selected row and to transfer the bobbin fallen into the transfer channel to the transfer position, includes a drive with comparatively many members, numerous guides, bearings, control cams and ratchet pawls which, since they are not covered, are exposed to the damaging effect of the fluff and lint, which is unavoidable in textile mills. Such exposure leads to premature wear of vital control elements, especially those of the changing mechanism in high-speed looms, such as are being used today to an increasing extent. Things are rendered even more difficult because, as already mentioned, in the prior art mechanisms the bobbin falls from the bobbin row of the magazine into the transfer channel merely by gravity, so that the timely completion of the fall of the bobbin and the proper position of the bobbin in the transfer channel are not ensured with certainty. The reliability of the bobbin-change mechanism is thus greatly endangered.

Moreover, in the known mechanisms, those parts of the bobbin-change which prepare the spare or fresh bobbin roW each time needed, are also moved whenever the setting of the shuttle box changes, and this increases on the one hand the power consumption of the bobbin-changing mechanism and causes on the other hand premature wear of the parts that are particularly important for perfect working of the bobbin-change mechanism.

Finally, in the bobbin-change mechanisms known heretofore, upon response of the bobbin feeler, one full revolution of the lower loom shaft is required in order to bring the spare bobbin, in two steps of movement, out of the magazine row into the transfer channel. There is the further drawback that the spare bobbin must be accelerated twice by its own weight in order to finally reach the transfer channel.

The object of the present invention is to obviate these dis-aduant-ages to a very great extent, so that even in upto-date high-speed looms, the bobbin-change openation takes place free from trouble. Because of the simple design and the use of fewer and more robustly constructed elements, the reliability is increased and premature wear of vital parts is avoided.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment is illustrated purely by way of example.

In said drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a bobbin magazine (battery) with the bobbin release levers, the bobbin slide lever, and the essential security devices in perspective representation.

in the row for a later changing operation.

FIG. 2 shows a preselector with themshuttle boxes and a shuttle with an electrical thread feeler for the control of the preselector in perspective representation.

A common carrier pin 2 supported by the side plate of the bobbin magazine has, corresponding to the number of bobbin rows in the magazine, two-armed bobbin release levers 3 oscillatably mounted thereon, each of which carries at its upper end 3a a drawhook 4. i-Each one of these drawhooks 4 is biased by means of springs '5 against adjustable stops 4a which are mounted on the bobbin release levers 3 so that the upper hook 4b is biased but of the path of a swinging knife 15.

The opposed lower ends of the bobbin-release levers 3 are designed as riding off cams 3b. Springs 3e, one engaging each lever 3, tends to draw the same back into its position of rest as shown in FIG. 1.

In the plane of oscillation of each of the riding ofi cams 3b of the bobbin-release levers 3 there is :a roller 6 which is carried by a roller lever 6a fixed to a rotary slide 6b. Each of the rotary slides 6b forms the end of a bobbin row 7 in the magazine and by its rotary motion and design simultaneously knocks out the lowest bobbin in the row :as well as positions the following bobbin Since, as already mentioned, the bobbin-release levers 3 are oscillatably mounted side by side on the common carrier pin 2, each of them having associated therewith one of said rollers 6 for actuating one of the rotary slides 6b, it therefore follows that the rollers 6 are arranged sideways in staggered relationship. Consequently, each bobbinrelease lever 3 acts with its riding ofi' cam 3b only upon a certain definite roller 6, while it can swing unhindered past the other rollers 6.

The common carrier pin 2 has further, to one side of the bobbin release levers 3, rockably mounted thereon the one two-armed bobbin slide lever -8, the upper end 8a of which is bent transversely to cross said levers -3. This portion 8a extends over all ends 311 of the levers 3 and has a flat face at its underside. Opposite this face 80, on the separate bobbin-release lever-arms 3a, fitting pieces 3d with complementary faces 30 are provided which are exchangeably mounted for regulating the distance between the faces 80 and 30 as required. This is necessary in order to determine the period at which the particular bobbin release lever 3- through face '30 contacts the face 80 of the bobbin'slide lever '8, to move together for the remaining travel of the bobbin release lever 3. On the downwardly directed arm 8b of the bobbin slide lever 8 there is provided a lateral extension 8d which engages in the transfer channel 9 the full bobbin, hereinafter to be described. During the swinging movement of the two levers 3 and 8, a spring 8e tends to keep the bobbin slide lever 8 with its face 8c in contact with the face 3c, during the rotary movement of the bobbin release lever 3, .or if a rotary movement does not occur, to keep or bring it in a position at a distance from faces 30 of-the fitting pieces 3d of the bobbin-release levers 3 as determined by an abutment (not shown).

The aforesaid distance between the faces 30 and the face 80 determines the delay with which the movement of the bobbin-release levers 3 shall be transmitted to the slide lever 8, in order that, in this interval of time, the full bobbin released by the bobbin release lever '3 and the rotary slide 6b may reach the transfer channel 9 before the lateral extension 8d of the bobbin slide lever 8 moves into contact with said bobbin.

Finally, the common carrier pin 2'has rockably secured thereon the lever .16 carrying the knife 15. The lever 16 is connected to and activated by'driving linkage 17, 20 and 20a driven from a non-circular disk 22a acting on the follower 22 and rotated by the loom shaft to raise and lower the knife 15.

Pushers 19 are respectively arranged opposite the backs of the drawhooks 4 for respectively pushing the associated drawhook into engagement with the swinging knife 15. The pushers 19 are respectively actuated by a selector 50 (FIG. 2) which is operably connected to a drop box 54 and a bobbin weft feeler 64. The drop box provides spaces for the number of shuttles, for example 56 through 59 as illustrated in FIG. 2, having different colored weft bobbins and respectively positions a shuttle for weaving in accordance with design cards (not shown). Positioning a shuttle for weaving, positions the selector for actuating the plunger 19 opposite the associated drawhook to engage the swinging knife and thereby actuating the bobbin release lever riding otf cam that engages the roller lever and rotary slide of the bobbin row of the same color weft as in the positioned shuttle for release of a bobbin therefor. The bobbin weft feeler 64 operably connected to the positioned shuttle is electrically connected to the selector and energizes it to actuate the associated plunger when the bobbin in the positioned shuttle is empty.

The bobbin-release lever is selected and activated by the pattern device. During its initial pivotal movement only the bobbin-release lever 3, toward the rollers 6 and the selection of the fresh bobbin and its transfer into the channel is effected. When the movement of lever 3 and face 30 has equalled the predetermined distance the face 30 of the release press 30. at the bobbin-release lever 3 contacts the abutting face 80 of the slide lever 8 and carries it along for the rest of the pivotal movement of lever 3, whereby the bobbin slide lever 8 with its extension 8d engaging in the transfer channel 9 encounters the spare bobbin therein and pushes it into the bobbin-changing or transfer position above the bobbin insertion channel.

Rockably mounted on a pin 10 is a single-armed lever 9a which at its lower end carries the weft bobbin transfer channel 9. The latter is curved along an arcuate section thereof having its center in the axis of pin 10 and extends below the ends of all bobbin rows of the magazine, said ends also opening into an arc concentric therewith. A torsion spring (not shown) on said pin 10 biases the lever 9a normally to rest against a stop (not shown), in which position the yieldingly designed front end 11 of the weft transfer channel 9 extends into the passageway for the bobbin 12, defined by the stationary guide wall 13. As soon as the bobbin-change takes place, the transferrer including battery hammer .14 actuated by the sley '35 through a safety linkage hereinafter described, forces the bobbin 12 into the shuttle present in changing position, whereby the elastically deformable end 11 of channel 9 serving as a support for the spare bobbin in its position of readiness, yields to the required extent.

In order to ensure proper carrying out of the working steps following each other in timed relation and, on the other hand, to render harmless any possible troubles in the transfer mechanism safety devices are provided which, in case of trouble, prevent transfer of movement to the separate levers, but above all prevent the bobbin being knocked in, if loom stoppage does not take place.

For this purpose, the driving linkage 17, 22 for the knife lever 15 includes a pressure-yielding transfer element of known type for example a spring, which is compressed to its length if the driving resistance of the bobbin-release lever 3 temporarily coupled to the knife 16 is exceeded. This change in length is transmitted through a tension wire 21 to stop the loom drive.

If there is an obstruction in the path of the bobbin slide lever '8, because for instance the full or fresh bobbin has jammed for any reason in the transfer channel or, because of faulty control there is a second bobbin in it so that said lever 8 cannot complete its rocking movement, the knife lever 16 will thus be prevented from com,- pleting its swing to compress the transfer element 20 and stop the loom as just described. But at the same time provision has been made for the battery hammer 14 not to be driven, so that bobbin insertion does not 4 occur. For this purpose, the shaft 29 (FIG. 1) on which the hammer 14 is rockably mounted and which, by lever 8 via linkage 23, 24-, 25, is caused to swing synchronously with said lever 8, which has fast on it a roller lever 30 whose roller 31 swings within the range of the rear end 82a of stop rod lever 32 of the battery hammer 14'.

Said lever 32. is pivoted to the end of the two-armed bobbin battery hammer 14 (FIG. 1). A spring 33 tends to bias lever 32 clockwise and, in the striking movement of the sley 35, to bring it into engagement with a stop 34 at the sley. If the transfer mechanism works Well, the roller 31 will be swung out of the range of the lever end 32a into the position 31 shown in broken lines, in which it cannot act, so that the stop rod lever 32 swings upwards. In the striking movement of the sley, the battery hammer 14 will thus operate in the bobbin insertion movement through stop 34- and stop rod lever 32. Should, however, for one of the aforesaid reasons, the pivotal movement of the bobbin slide lever 8 be hindered, no excursion of the roller lever 30, 31 takes place so that its roller remains under the lever tail end 32a and prevents the excursion of the stop rod lever 32 by the action of spring 33 and thus engagement of the stop 34. The insertion movement of the battery hammer 14 is thus prevented.

Similar action takes place if, for instance, the shuttle 28 has not taken up the proper position in the shuttle box below the insertion place of the magazine. Then, the shuttle feeler 27 provided on the lever 26 and which normally, via linkage 23, 24, is caused to swing synchronously by and with the bobbin slide lever 8, strikes against the shuttle and will be prevented from completing its pivotal movement. Incidentally, also rocking of shaft 29 will be blocked via linkage 23, 24 thus causing the roller 31, as described hereinbefore, to remain in the range of the tail end 32a of the stop rod lever and stop the knock-in movement of the battery hammer.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What we claim is:

1. In a multicolor automatic weft-replenishing loom having a loom drive, a plurality of shuttles and a transferrer comprising a battery-hammer operable automatically to insert fresh weft bobbins in exhausted shuttles, mechanism for delivering fresh weft-bobbins to a transfer position for insertion by said transferrer into said exhausted shuttles comprising, in combination, a bobbin magazine for holding fresh weft bobbins stacked in separate rows, a transfer channel common to all of said bobbin rows disposed for delivering fresh bobbins from said magazine to said transfer position for insertion by said battery-hammer into respective shuttles, a plurality of means on said bobbin magazine operable individually selectively for releasing bobbins individually from a respeotive one of said rows and delivering them into said channel for delivery to said transfer position for insertion into respective shuttles, a plurality of pivotally mounted bobbin-release levers actuatable individually selectively for actuating a corresponding one of said means for releasing bobbins individually from said rows thereby to selectively deliver bobbins individually to said transfer channel, means comprising a plurality of drawhooks for actuating said bobbin-release levers individually, and a bobbin slide lever actuatable by each of the bobbin-release levers individually for positively moving the individual weft-bobbins in said transfer channel to said transfer position in timed relationship with said batteryhammer.

2. In a multicolor automatic Weft-replenishing loom according to claim 1, in Which said means on said bobbin magazine operable individually selectively for releasing bobbin individually from a respective one of said rows and delivering them into said transfer channel comprise a plurality of pivotally mounted locking means each disposed for releasing the lowermost Weft-bobbin of a respective one of said rows, and a plurality of rollers individually operably connected to a respective one of said locking means and disposed in a staggered relationship and engageable individually by a respective one of said bobbin-release levers for causing releasing of the lowermost weft-bobbins individually by said locking means in respective ones of said rows.

3. In a multicolor automatic Weft-replenishing loom according to claim 1, including a knife for driving said bobbin-release levers engageable by said bobbin-release levers individually and for interrupting said loom drive in the event pivotal travel of said bobbin-release levers is resisted more than a predetermined resistance level, and means operably connecting said knife to said loom drive comprising a pressure-yielding element.

4. A multicolor automatic Weft-replenishing loom according to claim 1, including a stop rod operably connected to said bobbin slide lever for actuating said transfer-rer comprising said battery-hammer to an inoperative condition When said slide lever meets a predetermined resistance in its travel and, linkage means operably connecting said bobbin slide lever with said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,895 Gordon June 24, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 769,673 France June 11, 1934 

1. IN A MULTICOLOR AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOM HAVING A LOOM DRIVE, A PLURALITY OF SHUTTLES AND A TRANSFERRER COMPRISING A BATTERY-HAMMER OPERABLE AUTOMATICALLY TO INSERT FRESH WEFT BOBBINS IN EXHAUSTED SHUTTLES MECHANISM FOR DELIVERING FRESH WEFT-BOBBINS TO A TRANSFER POSITION FOR INSERTION BY SAID TRANSFERRER INTO SAID EXHAUSTED SHUTTLES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A BOBBIN MAGAZINE FOR HOLDING FRESH WEFT BOBBINS STACKED IN SEPARATE ROWS, A TRANSFER CHANNEL COMMON TO ALL OF SAID BOBBIN ROWS DISPOSED FOR DELIVERING FRESH BOBBINS FROM SAID MAGAZINE TO SAID TRANSFER POSITION FOR INSERTION BY SAID BATTERY-HAMMER INTO RESPECTIVE SHUTTLES, A PLURALITY OF MEANS ON SAID BOBBIN MAGAZINE OPERABLE INDIVIDUALLY SELECTIVELY FOR RELEASING BOBBINS INDIVIDUALLY FROM A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID ROWS AND DELIVERING THEM INTO SAID CHANNEL FOR DELIVERY TO SAID TRANSFER POSITION FOR INSERTION INTO RESPECTIVE SHUTTLES, A PLURALITY OF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BOBBIN-RELEASE LEVERS ACTUATABLE INDIVIDUALLY SELECTIVELY FOR ACTUATING A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID MEANS FOR RELEASING BOBBINS INDIVIDUALLY FROM SAID ROWS THEREBY TO SELECTIVELY DELIVER BOBBINS INDIVIDUALLY TO SAID TRANSFER CHANNEL, MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF DRAWHOOKS FOR ACTUATING SAID BOBBIN-RELEASE LEVERS INDIVIDUALLY, AND A BOBBIN SLIDE LEVER ACTUATABLE BY EACH OF THE BOBBIN-RELEASE LEVERS INDIVIDUALLY FOR POSITIVELY MOVING THE INDIVIDUAL WEFT-BOBBINS IN SAID TRANSFER CHANNEL TO SAID TRANSFER POSITION IN TIMED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BATTERYHAMMER. 